I completed a maths degree with the Open University in 2003.  Knowing how hard it is to find specimen solutions to exam papers I thought I would leave my collection here - hopefully they will be as much use to other students as they were to me.  

Many thanks to everyone who has since contributed their solutions - judging by the site's statistics and the emails I receive, your efforts are very much appreciated.  Downloaders please note though, these are not perfect solutions and may contain errors, or there may be better ways of answering the questions - so consider yourself warned.

All files are in .pdf format.  A free reader can be downloaded from:   

Exam papers for the last few years can be purchased from the Open University Students Association.  I have included some old exam papers in the table below but have been careful not to overlap with those currently sold.  OUSA donates from their profits to the Open University Students Educational Trust, who help students in need of financial assistance.  If you would like to make a donation to this charity, cheques can be posted to: OUSET, PO Box 397, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BE.

In order to keep this site useful I would be grateful to anyone sending me any maths exam papers or solutions.  Emails to trinabudge@yahoo.co.uk with .pdf's would be ideal but please contact me for my postal address if necessary.

 

"When working toward the solution of a problem, it always helps if you know the answer."  (Anon)

Course Exam Paper Solutions
MST121 Using Mathematics (exams stopped for this course after 2004) 1997   1998   1999 1997   1998   1999   2000   2001   2002   2003   2004

Solutions by tutors Margaret McColm and Norman Thomson.

MS221 Exploring Mathematics 1997   1998   1999   2000 1997   1998   1999   2000   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007

Solutions by tutors Margaret McColm and Norman Thomson.

M203 Pure Mathematics (no longer running) 1996   1997   1998   1999   2000   

2001

1996

Alan Slomson's solutions for the M203 exam papers for 2003, 2004 and 2005 should be available from him from February 2006.  An order form should be included in Stop Press 2.

Wilson Stother's web page also has some M203 goodies.

M208 Introduction to Pure Mathematics (replaced M203 in 2006)   2006   Solutions by Victor Nicola and Trevor J Burton.

2007

M246 Elements of Statistics (no longer running) 1998   2000   2001   2002 1997   1999   2000   2001

Solutions by students on First Class conference.  Brief solutions for 1998-2000  by unknown tutor(s) in London.

M248 Analysing Data (replaced M246 in 2003)   2003   Solutions by Kenneth Laing, Judith White, and others.

2004   2005   Solutions by Chris Fredericks and Judith White.

2006   2007

M261 Mathematics in Computing (no longer running)   Solutions for 1997 - 2002 on Dave Wild's web page
M263 Building Blocks of Software   Solutions for 2004 on Dave Wild's web page

2005   2005 Errata   Solutions by Simon Shannon.

MST207 Mathematical Methods, Models and Modelling (no longer running, replaced with MST209 in 2005) 1999 1999   2000   2001   2002   2003   2004

Solutions by Vincent Abbott.

M336 Groups and Geometry 1994   1995   1996   1997   1998

1999   2000

1994   1995   1996   1997   1998   1999   2000   2001   2002   2003   2004

Solutions by tutor Shirleen Stibbe.

2006   2008   Solutions by course sudents.

Groups - a collection of useful info on groups up to order 12.

M337 Complex Analysis 1996   1997   1998   1999   2000   

2001

1994   1995   1996   1997

Solutions for 1998 - 2007 on Dave Wild's web page

M343 Applications of Probability 1993   1994   1995   1996   1997

1998   1999   2000   2002

1993-1995   1996   1997   1998

1999   1999 corrections   2000   2001    Solutions by Mark Atherton.  Please contact mark@theathertons.me.uk with any corrections.

2002   2003 Pt1   2003 Pt2    Solutions by Vincent Abbott.

2004   2005   2006   2007   Solutions by Trevor J Burton.

A partial rewrite of the course in 1997 may make some questions in the earlier papers irrelevant.

M346 Linear Statistical Modelling 1998   1999   2000   2001   2002 1998   1999   2000   2001   2002
M358 Relational Databases 1999   2000 1998   1999   2000   2001   2002

Solutions by students on First Class conference.

M371 Computational Mathematics (no longer running) 1995   1996   1998   2000 1995   1996   1998   2000

Solutions by tutor Gareth Harries.

M373 Optimization (replaced M371 in 2002)   2002   2003   2004   2006   2007

Solutions by tutor Gareth Harries.

M381 Number Theory and Mathematical Logic 1995 (NT)   1996 (NT)   1997   

1998   1999   2000

1995 (NT)   1997 (Logic)   1998 (Logic)   1999 (Logic)

Solutions for 1996 - 2002 (NT only) on Wilson Stother's web page

Solutions for 2002 - 2007 (NT) and 2000 - 2007 (Logic) on Dave Wild's web page

MST322 Mathematical Methods and Fluid Mechanics 1991   1992   1993   1994 1997   Solutions by tutor Clive Britton.

1997   1999   2001   2003   2004

Solutions by tutor Sue Matthews. (The reproduction quality is not great, so if anyone has better copies...)

MT365 Graphs, Networks and Design 1995   1996   1997   1998   1999   

2000   2001   2002

Solutions for 1995 - 2006 on tutor John Taylor's web page
M435 Metric and Topological Spaces and Geometric Topology   Solutions for 1991, 1994, 1998 and 2001 on tutor John Taylor's web page

 

How to calculate your honours degree classification:
I have compiled a table for the OU's system of calculating your honours classification (with a brief guide on how to use it).  Believe me, using this table is much easier than trying to figure out the OU's instructions.
NB.  The overlap period with the old system has now ended - degrees awarded from 2005 onwards will be classified by this system only.
     
Handy websites:
Marxonline - for managing assessment/exam scores.  Also includes Leningrad for calculating Hons degree classification.
M500 Society - includes details of the September revision weekend.
The OU's plans for Maths and Computing courses
Prerequisites & Pass Rates - pdf of the pass rates for studying vs not-studying the recommended prerequisite courses for OU maths courses
MathWorld
    

 

Trina Budge,  15 October 2008